Is a heron a danger to a hen?

azubah · « **on:** November 16, 2008, 18:32 »

A heron landed at the top of a tree at the end of the garden today. The hens froze for a full 5 minutes until I decided to open the back door and then it flew away. Could a heron swallow a full grown hen? My DH says that he saw one swallow a duck on the television a few weeks back.

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #1 on:** November 16, 2008, 19:02 »

I wouldn't have thought they would swallow a full grown hen :shock:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/3025.shtml

Evansent · « **Reply #2 on:** November 17, 2008, 12:18 »

I hate them, they have stolen some of my best Koi carp in the past. They can even slide their heads under the pond net if it isn't secured well enough. Do you have a pond in your garden, or does a neighbour? because it is far more likely to be searching for fish, than hens.

C x

Bodger · « **Reply #3 on:** November 17, 2008, 15:14 »

Your hens are safe and that duck must have been a duckling, unless you are talking pelican.

An amazing bird the pelican its bea. ...............

azubah · « **Reply #4 on:** November 17, 2008, 20:09 »

Thanks folks.
We do have a pond, Evansent, and so do a few of the neighbours. It is netted as there are a lot of cats around, including ours, and we have managed not to lose any fish for years. The heron might have been thinking of having a closer look.
The hens took it very seriously and did not look as if they were going to move until it had gone. I have never seen them so still for so long before. It seemed to me to be a very large heron, but its neck looked too thin in your pictures, Aunty, to swallow a hen. Perhaps the duck that got swallowed was a baby.
We don't get many pellicans around here, Bodger!

Bodger · « **Reply #5 on:** November 17, 2008, 20:35 »

Its beak can hold more than its belly can

chickenlady · « **Reply #6 on:** November 17, 2008, 22:47 »

I saw on you been framed a pelican with a pigeon in its beak! :shock: all you could see was its wings sticking out and flapping then the pelican opened its beak and the pigeon flew away un scathed

Evansent · « **Reply #7 on:** November 18, 2008, 11:31 »

Maybe that's why they have installed two in a park in London (can't remember if it's Hyde or St.James) to sort out the pigeon population :o

C X

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #8 on:** November 18, 2008, 12:30 »

:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

QNNl_uWmQXE

Evansent · « **Reply #9 on:** November 18, 2008, 20:37 »

That is trully horrible!!!

C x

Kate and her Ducks · « **Reply #10 on:** November 18, 2008, 21:25 »

Thought it was some sort of falcon or hawk that they installed to kill the pigeons.
Just can't imagine that a pelican would be all that efficient.
Would like to see it try though! :shock:

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #11 on:** November 18, 2008, 21:27 »

Did you look at the link I posted Kate ?

Kate and her Ducks · « **Reply #12 on:** November 18, 2008, 21:59 »

:oops: :oops: :oops:

Oops, obviously missed that :oops: Been a long day!

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